Bicycle riding is a popular sport that often requires extended periods of activity without an opportunity for the bicycle rider to stop for necessary refreshment. Thirst is a problem which the bicycle rider often encounters.
Many efforts have been made in the past to provide a system for delivering refreshment fluid to a bicyclist, including a portable water bottle which can be accessed by the rider during riding. Such water bottle assemblies usually consist of a cage mounted to the frame of the bicycle, and a water bottle which fits within the cage. These arrangements have provided certain problems for the user. Most particularly, the cages are usually mounted on a bar extending angularly or vertically downward from the bicycle frame so that the water bottle can be held erect, therefore requiring the bicycle rider, while riding the bicycle, to remove one hand from the handle bar to reach the bottle. Further, the rider must open the bottle and tilt his or her head back in order to allow water to pour into his or her mouth. This is a dangerous procedure, as movement of the head and removal of a hand from the handle bar during riding affects the balance of the rider, and because the rider's vision is obstructed during the backward tilting of the head.